I Used to be Somebody

Do you know someone that has a 5th gear level energy for life? That's Susan Stewart! She shares her personal journey growing up queer in Palm Springs, CA. She was a golf prodigy as a child and ended up following that passion and becoming a golf pro. Which eventually led her to a corporate resort merchandising career and then---risking it all to step away from corporate life to open her own amazing...

Carl meets and interviews one of his personal heroes this week in the Tiki bar! Jerry is a living legend in Sacramento and throughout the NBA after serving as head coach (not once but twice), General Manager and Broadcaster. His story is truly a remarkable one! He grew up in poverty in French Lick, Indiana (Jerry is life long friends with superstar Larry Bird) shared the same bedroom with 4 of his...

We all sit in a coffeehouse or restaurant and think, "I'd like to start my own!" With no experience in roasting coffee beans or baking deliciousness, and a few glasses of wine, Tim Jordan and Jason, his future business partner, did exactly that. Tim talks about his midlife crisis that lead him to his decision to leave a big-time printing career to start Old Soul Company as a first-time entrepreneu...

We had an (Un)Retirement legend join us this week! Kerry Hannon is a celebrity author and TV commentator leading the charge for 50+ year olds around the world! She's written 14 books and is a regular contributor to the New York Times, Forbes, Money and many others, talking about personal finance and career transition for older people. What is most striking is Kerry's zest for life. Her love of wri...

You can't help but be pumped up after listening to Cinde Dolphin. Despite some challenges at home she became determined at a young age to be a positive person and an agent for change. And the rest is history! Cinde helped Coors forge a new frontier-- the East Coast markets. Remember when Coors wasn't actually sold "East of the Rocky Mountains"? Along the way, Cinde battled four bouts with cancer a...

We've got a super entertaining interview this week with the very talented and funny Jack Gallagher. He is nationally known because he was a regular at the Improv in the '80's when comedy clubs were super hot, had appearances on the Tonight show with Johnny Carson and Conan, is an award winning television host of a PBS series, and has a recurring role on the hit HBO show "Curb Your Enthusiasm". But...

Alan Newman doesn't really have hobbies---if he did, it would be to continually start new companies! Alan is the real deal. He is a serial entrepreneur, part of a rare breed of risk-takers who start up companies as often as they have new ideas. He's started dozens of successful businesses and he seems to have a gift for picking the next new hot markets. Alan founded the burgeoning mail-order Garde...

Dan Blank was "the art kid" in school who eventually grew up to become a pioneer in the new age of Content Creation. In the midst of the last recession, he then made the bold move to first-time entrepreneurship and launched WeGrowMedia. Now 12 years later, Dan has helped thousands of other people launch their new businesses successfully. Dan has tons of solid (Un)Retirement advice and he helps his...

Melissa Davey's story is simply a delight. What is the probability that a 65 year-old successful insurance executive has a chance encounter with a world renowned film director and then is inspired to make her own movie? Just how happenstance led Melissa to create her Second Act would make a great movie script. Her story is one of inspiration and her advice is to always take the detour in life. Now...

What a super fun conversation this week with Henry and Carl. Henry Schulman has been the beat writer for 30+ years covering the San Francisco Giants. He just retired a couple of months ago, so it's an interesting perspective from an (Un)Retirement newbie. The conversation is about way more than just sports. Henry raised by his Jewish immigrant parents who were also Holocaust survivors. He is very...

Caroline is a dynamo in every sense. In her college years, she was a very accomplished classical pianist and studied at the world famous Juilliard School. Even though she was incredibly talented, she figured out at this young age that she didn't have a passion for it and quit. She eventually went on to big success as a career coach for some of the most successful companies in the world, appearing...

It's been an interesting and wild 60 year ride for Mike Branon. After some ups and downs in life, Mike became an entrepreneur in the 1990's, finding a niche in construction storage units. That business took off to the point that he was able to sell his business and retire at 40 years old.   During the past 20 years Mike has reinvented himself many times -- as a microbrewery owner, teacher, philant...

About 10 years ago, Chris Welles took a big family trip (which he was hesitant to go on) to East Africa. The safari adventure was transformative for him. He fell in love with Kenyan wildlife and more importantly, the people. Chris's story is amazing! He ended up giving up his very successful executive recruiting business and without any experience whatsoever in the apparel business, he launched Am...

Carl learns this week from Ed Casey that the brand licensing business is a $292 billion dollar global business. That is Billion with a capital B!   Ed likes to say he's in the "smile business". Who doesn't wear their favorite team T-shirt, sip from a novelty mug or treasure cool memorabilia from their childhood? Working in the corporate licensing biz for almost 40 years, Ed's been involved in the...

Mike Drak abruptly experienced "retirement shock". Which in his case, was having a successful career with one company for 36 years (!) and in just one day it all went away. This is an amazing story about how Mike went from a devastating first day of retirement to becoming a leader in the (Un)Retirement movement! You'll laugh and shed a tear while listening to this popular Canadian's poignant journ...

Today Carl talks with Devon Zagory -- one of the world's foremost experts on food safety. Not so exciting, you might think. But Devon's life journey has been anything but boring. This hippie college dropout hitchhiked around the world, found clarity in drug exploration and ends up not only graduating from college but obtaining a PHD and a second degree, with a passion for helping poor farmers in r...

Our show is now way more cool with this week's guest, Val Haller. She is the founder of Val's List, which is a boutique music site unlike any other. She creates awesome playlists just for 50+, so they can easily get to know new groups on the scene. Val is a high energy, right brain-artist-entrepreneur who wants to bring great music to everyone...one note at a time. You'll be motivated whether you'...

This week's interview was different, as Carl interviewed the person that may be the all-time expert about (un)retirement. Over the last 3 years, Andy Levine has interviewed 90+ guests for his own show". He also happens to be in the process right now of creating his own Second Act. He's phasing out of his big-time career and "testing out" 5 completely different acts. It's a lot of trial and error....

This weeks' interview with media icon Bo Sacks was surprising and super fun! Bo had some big time jobs with NY publishers McCall's, New York Times Magazine Group, Ziff Davis and others. But his roots were from the Alternative Presses (part of the secret underground newspaper world) in the '60's and then in the '70's he helped start High Times Magazine .    Bo has developed a non-traditional approa...

Carl interviews Dr. James Beckett, who combined his great love of sports and math to found and build up the largest sports and entertainment collectibles media company in the world. He has led over 5,000 mentoring meetings and now has a daily podcast. Get ready to be inspired! • Check out the Dr. James Beckett: Sports Card Insights podcast • This week we're sponsored by 032 Outsourcing: Call 214.4...

Carl is ecstatic when he discovers that this week's guest Richard Haiduck not only actually plays pickleball, but he knows that Miami University is actually in Ohio not Florida. Richard Haiduck talks about amazing stories he learned when writing Shifting Gears: 50 Baby Boomers Share Their Meaningful Journeys in Retirement. Richard has a remarkable life in his own right. He has had the opportunity...

Best-selling author, radio host and economist Chris Farrell combined scholarly research with firsthand reporting to debunk the popular myth that an aging population is a burden on the economy. People in the second half of life can be as creative, innovative and entrepreneurial as their younger peers! To learn more about Chris Farrell visit: https://chrisfarrell.net This Week we're sponsored by 032...

The "I Used to be Somebody" #1 voted podcast episode winner goes to (drum roll)...Debb McColloch Debb McColloch explains what it was like to go from a big time job with a $100 million dollar budget and 75+ people working for her to the very next day (retirement), when no one wants your opinion! Whether we want to admit it or not, our career defines some part of our identity. Deborah explains how s...

Mark Shaiken talks with Carl about what comes next after a big career as a successful attorney. The questions started in his 50's-- "Well, what else can I do?" The answers were not so easy for him then. "It's sort of a loaded question," said Mark.  "The truth is there are lots of things we can do."  Carl agreed that sometimes it's easy to get stuck in something when you're pretty good at it. Decad...

Debb McColloch explains what it was like to go from a big time job with a $100 million dollar budget and 75+ people working for her to the very next day (retirement), when no one wants your opinion! Whether we want to admit it or not, our career defines some part of our identity. Deborah explains how she figured it all out and gives some great (Un)Retirement advice!   • To learn more about Deborah...